Clothes-pin



(N0 Modei.)

M. S. PITTMAN.

CLOTHES PIN.

No. 535,399. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

1 :i J TATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES S. PITTMAN, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

CLOTHES-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,399, dated March 12, 18195.

Application filed July 16, 1894. Serial No. 517,676- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Moms S. PITTMAN, of Independence, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful 1m provements in Clothes-Pins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to clamps or fasteners, and more particularly to that class which is employed in securing garments, &c., upon a clothes line, and for securing lace curtains in position, and the object of the invention is to produce a clamp which is simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction, and which may be easily and expeditiously securedin or removed from position, and caused to engage or disengage garments or articles upon the line, or a lace curtain or other article which is to be detachably suspended.

With this object in view, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1. is a perspective view of a clamp or-fastener, constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2. is a face view of the same, and Fig. 3. is an edge view of the same.

The clamp or fastener is preferably formed of a single piece of spring wire, which is bent at its middle to form the spring coil 1, and the end portions are extended outwardly from said coil to form the approximately parallel arms 2 and 3, and are then bent back to form the handle portions 4, 4. At a point a suitable distance beyond the side of the coil 1, opposite to the side occupied by the portions 2 and 3, the said bent hack portions are bent inwardly as shown at 5 and 6, respectively, and the arm 5, at its junction with the arm 6, is bent around the said arm 6, as shown at 7, is then bowed outwardly as shown at 8, and is then continued to form the straight arm 9, which extends approximately parallel with the arm 2. The arm 9, at its free end, is flared outwardly and-again bent as at 10, to provide the additional or auxiliary arm 11, which lies upon and against the arm 9, and is also provided with the outwardly bowed portion 12,

which corresponds to and bears against the bowed portion 8, and said arm 11 terminates in the bent portion 13, which over-laps that portion of the wire which connects the bend 7 and the bowed portion 8. The arm 6, at its point of engagement with the bend 7, is also bent around the same, and is also bowed outwardly and oppositely to the bowed portion 8, as at 14, from which point a straight arm extends approximately parallel to the arm 3, and said straight arm, adjacent to its lower end, bears against the corresponding arm 9, and is flared outwardly and bent back upon itself, as shown at 15, so as to form the auxiliary arm 16, which corresponds to the arm 11, and said arm 16 is also bowed outwardly as shown at 17, and has its free end bent at 18 to overlap slightly that portion of the wire which connects the bend 7 and the bowed portion 8, and lies side by side with the bent portion 13. The object of thus bending the ends of the wire is to prevent any possible chance of engagement with and the tearing of the garments or articles upon the line.

In operative position, when the device is employed as a lace curtain support, the opening formed by the coil will engage the curtain pole, and the handle portions 4, 4, will be pressed or forced inwardly toward each other, so that the arms 5 and 6, at their point of junction, will pivotally operate and cause the divergence of the straight arms below said pivotal point. The curtain is now slipped between these arms, and the handle portions 4, 4, are released to allow the spring coil to force said portions apart and to cause the straight arms to engage firmly and with a yielding pressure the opposite sides of the curtain without puncturing or injuring the same.

When the device is to be used as a fastener for garments or clothes upon a line, the line may engage the opening formed by the coil, or may engage the opening formed by the oppositely bowed portions below the hinge joint, and the garments or clothes clamped between the straight arms, as before explained with reference to the curtain.

It will be apparent from the above description, that the device may be formed in sizes to fit any curtain pole or any clothes line, and that the same may be longitudinally adjusted ICO thereon so as to occupy any position required, and that a device of this character may be advantageously employed in many connections not necessary to name herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A clamp orfastener, consisting of a spring wire bent to form a spring coil, a handle portion at one side of said coil, arms pivoted together at the opposite side of said spring coil, and straight arms projecting from said pivotal point in a direction opposite to and held yieldingly together by the said spring coil, substantially as set forth.

2. A clamp or fastener, consisting of a spring wire bent to form a spring coil, handle portions at one side of said spring coil,arms pivoted together at the opposite side of said spring coil, outwardly and oppositely bowed portions, straight arms extending from said bowed portions and in a direction away from and held yieldingly together by the said spring coil, and flared outwardly at their free ends and bent to form auxiliary arms which rest upon the first-mentioned straight arms, and are also bowed outwardly, and have their free ends bent to over-lap the portion of the wire connecting one of the first-mentioned arms with the pivotal point thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MOSES S. PITTMAN.

Witnesses:

G. Y. THORPE, M. R. REMLEY. 

